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MCC play recalls 9/11, honors heroes
McCOOK, Neb. -- Few events in our lifetime will resonate like the events that transpired on Sept. 11, 2001 in New York.
McCook Fire Chief Marc Harpham worked full-time for the city of McCook Fire Department. His shift at the fire station just ended at 8 a.m. and he was preparing to go to his part-time job as a meter reader for Nebraska Public Power District. Then history unfolded in front of him as he watched the events on television from the fire station.
"We were all in shock over what we were watching," Harpham said.
He went home and changed to go to work at NPPD still in shock and disbelief over what was happening. As he walked the streets of McCook, he walked in a new world.
"I remember the day being sunny, pleasant and quiet. The eerie thing about the day was the fact that there was no jet trails or airplanes heard or seen flying overhead," Harpham said.
"Some people may not pay attention to this, but it's something you notice when you spent nearly eight hours walking outside."
The events of 9/11 had an immediate impact on the first responders in McCook. Almost immediately someone made a sizable anonymous donation.
McCook Community College Theater Instructor Clay Grizzle was teaching a college speech class at Howard College in Big Springs, Texas in September of 2001.
"All the students were talking about it when they got to class so we just turned on the television and watched the news coverage. It was like the teacher/student dynamic disappeared and we were just Americans wondering what happened and why," Grizzle said.
When the single-plane crash report turned into a nation-wide terror alert, Grizzle said his first thoughts were about a former student he knew lived in Manhattan.
"When the events surrounding the collapse of the World Trade Center transpired it just reinforced what heroes these guys are and like many of us, I just wished there was more I could do," Grizzle said.
That opportunity comes this week.
Grizzle said he became aware of the play "The Guys" shortly after its debut in New York in December of 2001 and said he always wanted to stage it. After completing his first year in McCook and seeing what a strong presence volunteer firemen play in the area this seemed like a fitting way to pay tribute. September 11 seemed like to right time.
The performance at the Fox Theater at 7 p.m. today will be staged in part from a generous donation from the McCook Arts Council.
Matt Sehnert was working at Sehnert's Bakery and Bieroc Café in 2001. He heard the 8 a.m. news broadcast on KICX about a plane crashing into a building in New York. Soon there was breaking news about another plane and another crash.
"I ended up going home and like a lot of people watched with horror and confusion as everything unfolded in front of us on television," Sehnert said.
Now 13 years later Sehnert is set to portray New York Fire Captain Nick, in tonight's play. A week or so after the attacks, Nick is struggling to write eulogies for the men he lost. He solicits the help of a former newspaper reporter, Joan, played by Linsey Dugan, to help him come up with the right words to honor his fallen comrades.
Linsey, who is a former college theater student of Grizzle's, was a seventh grader in Stanton, Texas when the Twin Towers came down.
"I was in math class and the teacher explained what was going on so we turned on the T.V. and then every class we went to after that we just kept watching," she recalls. "It was so weird the next day I remember something happened that never happened before or after. All us junior high students kind of gathered on the lawn before school and just prayed as a group."
As part of his research into the role of fire captain, Sehnert and visited "the guys" at the McCook fire station including McCook Fire Chef Marc Harpham.
"I asked Marc how much those attacks affected firemen here, and he assured me that the world changed on 9/11, even here in McCook."
"I know a lot of the guys back then just couldn't believe that the attacks were meant to harm first responders. A lot of us struggled with that, I mean the thought was 'we're firemen, we're the good guys, we're trying to help people. Why would anyone want to hurt us?" Harpham said.
But someone did. As a result officials report that more than 1,400 first responders died as a result of the 9/11 attacks.
The fire chief has read the script for "The Guys" and said he's looking forward to the performance.
"It's a tear-jerker because the script talks a lot about individuals who were lost from this New York fire station and when you're part of team like this you get to know the guys pretty well. It's pretty much living with them for numerous 24-hour shifts and whether you're in New York or McCook -- it's like you become part of a new family. And so there's also a lot of positive sentiment in the script too."
Following the performance, which lasts about a hour, Harpham said he plans to recognize McCook's firefighters and emergency responders, volunteers and their employers.
Admission to the play is free but firefighters will be on hand to accept free-will donations to be used to help purchase new equipment, specifically, a new K-12 ventilation saw and blades. These saws are typically used to cut holes in a roof to allow smoke to escape and can also be used in the rescue operations.